Norwegian to buy more planes after US approval

Airline likely to order more long-haul planes, probably 787s
After Norwegian’s Irish subsidiary wins US approval to fly transatlantic routes, Norwegian will have to order more long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 787 being the most likely model, news agency Reuters quotes its chief executive as saying.As reported, the US Department of Transportation intends to give flying rights to the subsidiary of the Oslo-based low-cost carrier. Airlines and unions have a brief period to register their disapproval.
“With this permission from the US Department of Transportation, we can start flying people from Africa and Asia via Europe to the US,” Norwegian’s chief executive Bjorn Kjos said in an interview. “We are going to need more long-haul planes than we have ordered today.”
So far, the airline has ordered $18.5 billion worth of planes from Boeing, including 29 Dreamliners last October.
“Dreamliners are the most likely option,” Kjos said. “We are going to create jobs in the US. This permit allows us to look at more planes from Boeing.”
Kjos wants to reassure unions that the airline will employ American and European crew on transatlantic flights, not lower-paid Asian crews.Reuters

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